Child
by Keitorin Asthore
Summary: Anna as a little girl. COMPLETE.
1. Baby Anna

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, not me.

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The child was around three years old, very small and delicate- looking. She kept her eyes downcast, but it was easy to see the sharp dark bruising on her face. The little girl knelt at the feet of her aunt. Kino eyed her carefully.

"She's had the basic training," the child's aunt explained. "Already she can control shikigamis. And she has a spirit of her own."

Kino tipped the child's face towards her. "She's very fragile," she said, her tone disapproving. But she couldn't help but feel guilty when she looked into the girl's dark, frightened eyes.

"I wanted her to stay here so she can become a full shaman," the woman said.

Kino shot her a look. "There is more, I believe."

"The child's uncle- my husband- is not right in the head," the woman confessed. "More than once I've caught her. I want her to stay safe."

For a long moment, Kino watched the child. "I accept her as a student," she finally said.

The woman bowed low in gratitude. "Arigato," she said. She patted the little girl's head in vague affectionate. "Be a good child," she warned her. Then she was gone. The toddler's chin trembled.

"Don't cry, little one," Kino said, shuffling through the papers on her desk. "One of the other shamans will keep an eye on you until you are more confident. Go out of the office and look for one of them." The girl nodded obediently and vanished, closing the door behind her.

Kino slid her glasses up her nose as she focused on the application papers the woman had given her for the child. They were written hurriedly, without thought or care. Papers written for Annabelle Rose Kyoyama.

-----

Anna sat alone against the wall with the other first years, her small hands fumbling with her chopsticks. Her lips trembled. She wanted to go home, to her mother and her father and her brothers. Then she remembered. Kaa'san and Tou'san were dead. The little girl set down her chopsticks and cried. No one noticed her.

At nighttime, she followed the other young children to the south dormitory, where she was given a small futon and a yukata. Frantically she looked around for something familiar. Anna ran up to the teenage girl watching over them and tugged on her skirt. "Where are my own things?" she asked.

The older girl looked down at her. "Asakura-san has put your things away for you," she said. "You'll receive them when you graduate."  
Anna stepped back, biting her lip. "But I want them now!" she sobbed. The girl's face was uncertain, torn between sympathy for the little girl and her desire to please her teacher and follow the rules. So she said nothing.

That night, Anna slept alone in her little bed. This time there was no warmth from her brothers' sleeping bodies curled up next to her, and no soft blanket to bury her face in when the tears came.

"Lydda," she whispered. "Lydda." The wind spirit materialized beside her. She was in the form of a slender, wispy blue-purple fairy. Her eyes were the color of gold coins. "I'm cold, Lydda," Anna said. The spirit nodded, sad for her small mistress, and blew soft warm breezes until the child fell asleep.

-----

Kino slipped into the back of the classroom to watch the tests for the first years. She shielded herself carefully, listening to the talk of the children between tests.  
"Hey, shrimpy." The voice was loud and shrill, belonging to a large five-year-old. "Hey, shrimpy, hey, shrimpy! You're gonna fail!"

"No," Anna said, her voice quiet but threatening. "Shut up, Noshi."

"Hey, shrimpy! You and your wind spirit are gonna do so bad that Kino- sama will toss you out in the snow!"

"No."

There was a sharp slap. "Hey, shrimpy! Hey, shrimpy!" Noshi continued taunting. There was another slap.

Anna said nothing, but there was a loud crack.

"Sensei!" Noshi wailed. "Sensei! Anna hit me again! Anna hit me!"

The sensei, a younger shaman, took Anna by the arm, led her away from the other children, and proceeded to lecture her soundly. Anna's small face was expressionless and pale, except the angry red slash on her cheek where Noshi had slapped her.

"Kyoyama Anna," the testing sensei called. Interested, Kino stepped behind the senseis to watch the child's test.

Anna stood in the middle of the floor, her long blonde hair braided neatly. "Anna, summon your spirit," one of the senseis ordered. Obediently, Anna called out the necessary words and her wind spirit appeared at her side.

"Five point two seconds," the timer murmured, surprise in her voice.

"Pass."

"Wait," Kino said. Anna jumped in surprise. "Anna, integrate with your spirit."

"I haven't tried before," the child tried to protest.

Kino cut her off. "Even the first years can integrate. They just can't hold it for long. Integrate with your spirit, Anna."

Fear in her eyes, Anna held out her small hand. "Lydda- spirit ball mode!" she called in her high, clear voice. "Integrate!" With all of her strength, Anna, tried to integrate. The spirit ball sank into her chest , but bounced right back out. Anna collapsed on the floor, quietly retching in pain.

"As I thought," Kino nodded. "Anna cannot be trained as a traditional shaman. She is to be an itako."

-----

Anna stared at the bare ground. The courtyard was dead and barren, hardened for winter. She sighed softly. "Lydda, where are my brothers?" she asked.

The wind-spirit's shoulders sagged as she shook her head. Anna sighed again. She missed them. Kenji and Kanri. It had been four years since she had been brought to the training hall, and three years since her training had been switched from normal shaman training to that of an itako. At the moment, she couldn't really tell the difference. She just knew that she was different from the other children.

A harsh fluttering sound startled her out of her thoughts. "What's that, Lydda?" Anna asked. The spirit zoomed around in a blaze of lavender light, searching for the source of the sound. She stopped and pointed frantically at the ground.

Anna knelt down. "Oh!" she gasped in surprise. A small mourning dove was lying in a bush, one wing frenetically flapping and the other motionless. Anna caught the dove in her small hands. "Sh, love," Anna cooed, stroking the bird's feather's. "It's all right. I'll take care of you." The bird settled in her hands, calmed.

The nurse at the infirmary told her the wing was broken. With a little concealed laughter at the child's concern, she splinted the wing and gave her a small box to keep it in. That night Anna slept soundly, with Lydda on her left and her pet on the right.

From that moment on, Anna was never seen without her beloved bird perched on her shoulder. The mourning dove, christened Nii'san, was her constant companion.

Then one day in the spring, it happened.

Anna was in the garden again, teaching Nii'san to come at her command. "Fly over there, Nii'san," she ordered, laughing. The bird flew away. A few minutes later Anna whistled. The soft rustle of feathers answered her. Then there was a sharp crack, and then nothing.

"Nii'san?" Anna called. "Come, Nii'san!" She began to run, searching for her pet. The clay-colored bird was lying in the middle of the path, a slowly widening patch of red under him.

"Nii'san!" Anna screamed. One small hand stroked his breast, but there was no movement. She cried out again and ran away.

"Kino-san!" Anna sobbed. She hurtled into the hall, past the students and teachers, into Kino's office. "Kino-san!"

A young woman stood up. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Where's Kino-san?" Anna demanded.

"She's not here right now, dear. Are you all right?" the lady asked. She was very pretty, with long dark hair and gentle dark eyes. It might have been her sweetness, or the fact that she called her 'dear', but Anna tumbled into the woman's arms.

"They killed my bird!" the child wailed. "They killed him!" Anna showed her the red stains on her palms.

"Oh," the woman said, kneeling down to hug Anna. "I'm sorry, sweetling." She stroked Anna's tangled hair gently.

"Keiko?" Kino asked, entering the office. "What is this?"

Keiko straightened, one hand still pressed against the sobbing girl's back. "She came here looking for you, Kaa'san. She said that someone killed her bird," she explained.  
Kino nodded gravely. "I see. I'm sorry, child," she said. Anna sniffled hard and nodded. "Keiko, this is the girl I told you about. This is Anna."

Keiko smiled. "So you are Anna," she said.

"Anna, this is my daughter-in-law, Keiko Asakura," Kino introduced.

Anna bowed. "May I go please, Kino-san?" she asked. "I want to take care of Nii'san."

Kino nodded to her and the child fled, running to the solace of her pet's dead body.

-----

"I'm sorry you had to see her in such an unfavorable light," Kino said.

"Unfavorable?" Kino said. "What is so distasteful about a little girl weeping over her dead pet?"

"Ah, yes. Nii'san," Kino remembered.

"She named her bird Brother?" Keiko asked.

"In honor of her own brothers."

"Where are they?" Keiko asked.

Kino shrugged. "Who knows?" she said. "Anna and her aunt showed up one day in the dead of winter. The aunt said that the girl's parents were dead and her uncle was a lech. So she left Anna here." She handed Keiko a piece of paper. "This is all the information I have on her. Her name, an approximate age, and the aunt's signature. No address, no parents, not even a birthday."

"Poor child," Keiko sighed.

"But she is strong, and her sixth sense even stronger," Kino reminded her. "With the proper training, she will be a suitable wife for Yoh."

Keiko stared wistfully out the window. "My baby's too young for a wife," she said. "But if he is to marry eventually, then I approve of Anna. Besides, I think she'll need him just as much as he'll need her. Yes. I want Anna to become a part of our family."

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**Author's Notes:**

No, I don't know why I gave a little Japanese girl the name Annabelle Rose.

No, I don't know why people would shoot a mourning dove.

No, I don't know what possessed me to write this story.

Gaugh.


	2. Lost and Unwanted

"Anna." The young girl trembled. Kino smiled at her. "Don't shake like that, child, I have good news for you." Anna put her hands behind her back, hiding the dirt jammed under her bitten-off fingernails. She'd buried Nii'san under the cherry tree in the courtyard only moments before Kino had called her in. She hoped she wasn't in trouble. "Anna, my son Mikihisa and his wife Keiko have chosen you to marry their son Yoh."  
Anna took a step back. "Marry? Ew!" she exclaimed. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth.  
"You are quite young, but it is best you are prepared well in advance," Kino said. "You will marry Yoh sometime after you turn sixteen, but you will not be allowed to meet him until you are ten years of age. However, you will be the one responsible for training Yoh to become Shaman King."  
Anna nodded gravely. It was a large duty for such a small seven-year- old. "May I- may I see what he looks like?" she asked timidly.  
"I knew you were going to ask me that," Kino said. She pulled out a small photograph. "This will be yours now."  
Quaking, Anna willed herself to look at the picture. Would he be big and scowly, like Noshi? Or small and weak, like she was?  
A boy around her age grinned up at her in the photo. He had big, sparkling dark eyes and dark hair that hung in his face. A pair of oversized orange headphones poked out from behind his ears. Anna couldn't help but smile back at him. He was beautiful.  
When Anna crawled into her futon that night, she missed Nii'san's chirping warmth beside her, but the pain of the void was lessened as she slept with the picture of her future husband under her pillow.  
  
*****  
  
Anna bowed before her sensei. Every day she had to report to Kino for itako training, attending only the basic classes with the other shamans. It was the only part of the day she enjoyed, for even though Kino was a strict teacher, she didn't hit her or insult her like the other shamans her age. But today, Kino's eyes, shaded behind her glasses, were cold and stern.  
"Anna, you have been in training to be an itako for five years now," she said, her voice seeming deeper and more gravelly than usual. "You are not a child any longer, and it is time you put away your childhood. In only a few years you will be married. I must prepare you for the burden of becoming the Shaman Queen."  
"What must I do?" Anna asked her.  
"You will no longer sleep in the dormitory with the other children. You will have a room of your own, upstairs near mine," Kino began. "You will be under my tutelage constantly. You will learn how to run a household. And you will give up your spirit."  
"Lydda?" Anna whispered. "I have to give up Lydda?"  
"I'm sorry, child," Kino said. "Itakos cannot have guardian spirits of their own. You belong to all the spirits, and all the spirits belong to you. It is time for you to send Lydda on her way."  
Anna fell on her knees. "Oh, please don't, Kino-sama!" she sobbed. "Please, please, please! I beg of you! Don't take Lydda away from me! She is all I have left. I have nothing!"  
For a long while she knelt at Kino's feet, crying quietly, begging. Then Kino's old hands stroked her hair. "Oh, child," she sighed. "I am sorry. But Lydda must go. And you must send her yourself."  
Anna pushed herself to her feet. "Mayn't I have one last night?" she begged.  
"I will allow you that much," Kino said. "Tomorrow you must let her go. And don't forget that you are one of the students chosen for the training journey in the mountains. Tomorrow you will send Lydda away, and then your training to become the Shaman Queen will begin."  
  
*****  
  
Anna shifted the pack on her back. She could feel blisters forming between her shoulder blades. In front of her the other students were making their way easily through the rocky mountain path. Nearly a head shorter and a year younger than the youngest pupil, she struggled to keep up. The gravel and snow shifted beneath her feet, sending her sprawling more than once.  
"Hey, scrawny, move it." Mariko kicked Anna in the ankle. "You're holding everyone up." Anna gritted her teeth and kept climbing, wishing she could ask Lydda to blow Mariko off the mountainside. But Lydda was gone, gone forever. Anna dashed at her tears with her knuckles and tried to clear her mind of all her thoughts.  
The camp was near the peak of the mountain, set against a small ridge, away from the wind. Kino sequestered herself in a small cabin, but the pupils set up their own sleeping quarters with tents and sleeping bags. Anna pounded the stakes into the frozen earth, wishing she could finish and climb into her warm bed.  
"Scrawny-chan." It was Mariko again. "Scrawny-chan, we took a vote. You'll be going for the firewood."  
"Kino-san said we each got our own firewood," Anna said, her teeth clenched.  
"Screw Kino-san. Go get the wood." Mariko cuffed the side of her head. With no other choice, Anna buttoned her coat and traipsed further in the woods.  
Her shoes slushed through the thick snow. Huge banks were heaped around her, glowing purple and blue in the nighttime shadows. She shivered. The trees were stretching out their bony arms, and she wasn't sure if they were reaching for their creator or for her. Her frozen fingers fumbled for pieces of wood, twigs, anything burnable and dry. Anna was shaking now, the cold wet snow filling her shoes and the falling snow wetting her hair. At least now she couldn't hear the voices.the voices that were everywhere.  
That was why her aunt had hauled her up the mountainside when she was three years old. That was why she'd been abandoned, like a kitten that was free to any home. That was why no one loved her.  
Her first year or so at the training hall was hell. She could hear everything that they thought, everything that was in their hearts. Hate, love, fear, joy, she heard it all, the voices pouring into her ears until it was all she could do to keep from clamping her hands over her ears and screaming. It terrified her aunt and uncle. That was the night she remembered, when her aunt and uncle had decided to send her away. She was a freak. Oh, they'd never said it to her. But she heard their hearts. The words had been burned on her mind.  
She's not right in the head.  
At least her poor parents will never know.  
What if she goes insane? What if she tries to hurt someone?  
We can't let her near those boys. It could be dangerous for them.  
The mountains in Aomori are far enough away. She will be safer there.  
Memories racing through her mind, Anna stumbled through the snow. The snow was so pretty, sparkly and shiny, pink like icing on a birthday cupcake.but if it was a birthday, where were the candles? Candles like fire.a big candle, that would warm her up. That's what she wanted. Big big candles. She'd be warm then, but the pretty pink snow would melt.it wasn't pretty, it wasn't pink, it was red, it was red, it was blood red like the blood that spilled when the shaman boy killed her parents.scary boy, with scary eyes. He was scary. She was scared. Why was she scared? She had Lydda. No, Lydda was gone. Gone gone gone.gone someplace warm. Why couldn't she be someplace warm? Warm.if she found enough wood, they'd let her get warm.but she couldn't move anymore.  
Anna stumbled into camp. "I brought the wood," she mumbled. And then she fell.  
  
*****  
  
She was very sick, the doctor had said, sick enough for Kino to consider taking her to the hospital. Anna had stayed in bed for three days so far, awaking only to cough up the stuff blocking her lungs and staying in a heavy sleep for the rest of the time. Her fever continued to spike. No one visited her except the doctor and occasionally Kino. No one stayed with her.  
Anna awoke on the fourth day, finally coherent. "How are you, child?" Kino asked. Anna shook her head; her throat was too sore to say anything. Kino patted her hot little hand. "The doctor thinks you'll be well enough to get back to your lessons in a week or so. And for the next month, you'll not be allowed to go outside. It will be your punishment for trying to run away. You were very foolish, Anna. It was a childish and stupid thing to do, running away because you couldn't have your own way. Hopefully this will teach you to be more obedient." With a firm smash, Kino shut the door and left.  
Anna turned her head to look dully out the window. Punishment? Her life seemed like a punishment. Mariko and Noshi and the others.they were all right. She was nothing. But someday she'd prove them wrong. She'd become Shaman Queen, wife of the most influential shaman in the world, and then she'd laugh when they licked her shoes and begged for favors. She closed her eyes, maliciously happy dreams dancing in her head.  
  
*****  
  
She sat alone in the corner of the hall, studying one of her books. It was a thick one, about American history. That subject had always fascinated her. The Americans were always obsessed with freedom, a topic she was constantly thinking about.  
A big hand jerked the book out of her small hands. Anna glowered. That was usually enough to scare her tormentors away. But it was Noshi.  
"Reading again, Anna-chan?" he asked sweetly.  
"Die," Anna said, yanking the book away. Noshi only held it above her head and grinned. He'd grown taller and more muscular since they were first- years. Now, although he was still in her class, he was already fourteen- rather disgraceful, now that she thought about it. "Give it back," she insisted. She jumped up to retrieve it and her hands inadvertently brushed against his fingers.  
Now there was something else in Noshi's eyes. Something that scared her. "Come on, Anna-chan," he smiled.  
"Don't call me Anna-chan," she muttered. His eyes raked over her small body. The fear came back tenfold.  
Noshi tangled his fingers in Anna's long hair. "You're a pretty thing," he purred, stroking his fingers along her neck. "Come on, Anna. Pretty little girl." And suddenly she was no longer against the wall but on the floor, with Noshi pressing his body on top of her. His hands invaded her clothes.  
"Stop!" Anna screamed. "No! Don't!"  
"Why should I?" Noshi grunted. His hands were even more insistent now.  
Anna squeezed her eyes shut and summoned the dead leaves of the plant in the hall. The shikigamis materialized and she commanded them to strike Noshi. It bought her enough time to crawl to her feet and disappear into her little bedroom. Noshi writhed in pain, shouting curses at her.  
Anna locked the door securely behind her. It had almost happened. Again. Her uncle had tried once. She hated it. The girl shivered and turned on the hot water in her bathroom, filling the bathtub. All she wanted was a hot bath, to scald off the feeling of his hands on her body.  
She'd just gotten out of the bath and started towel-drying her hair when someone pounded on her door. Curious, Anna pulled on her clothes and opened the door. "Yes?" she asked.  
"Kino-sama wants to see you in her office, Anna-sama," the little first-year lisped.  
"I'm not Anna-sama," she tried to say, but the child ran away before she could say anything. Anna shrugged and walked down the hall to Kino's office.  
Noshi was seated there in front of Kino's desk, his face scratched and bleeding, his eyes burning red. "Anna," Kino said. "Noshi has told me what happened."  
Anna sagged in relief. "Good," she said. "It was-"  
"I cannot believe that my own favorite student would attack another pupil unprovoked," Kino said. "I am ashamed of you, Anna Kyoyama."  
"But I didn't-" Anna tried to say.  
Kino shook her head. "No. You will be severely punished, Anna," she said. "Noshi, you are free to go, unless you would like to say something to my wayward disciple."  
"No, Kino-sama," Noshi said, his eyes meek as his sensei fixed her eyes on him. "I am saddened that such a promising young shaman, with so much favor in your eyes, would stoop so low." His words were sweet as honey, but as he brushed past Anna, he flicked her skirt.  
"Kino-san, I didn't attack him," Anna protested. "He attacked me."  
Kino folded her hands. "Anna, I am sorry, but you have had a history of striking out, especially in the last few months." Anna closed her eyes. "For the next week, you will be doing all the cooking for the other students. That will be your punishment." She smiled gently at her favorite student. "It's not nearly as bad as it could be," she said.  
  
*****  
  
Anna squinted in pain as the knife skittered across the potato and into her finger. It was the potato number one hundred twenty-six. She knew because she counted them all. There was nothing else to do. It was the fifth day of her sentence, and she was tired of cooking. "When I'm Shaman Queen," she muttered, "I'll never cook again."  
"What was that?" the cook asked.  
"Nothing," Anna said. She peeled the last bit of skin off and reached for potato number one hundred twenty-seven.  
It was nearly an hour and a half later before all the food was served and all the dishes washed. Anna retreated into the back garden with another book and two apples. It would work for lunch. She sat on one of the benches, bit into an apple, and read avidly. She was so deep in her book she didn't notice the footsteps behind her.  
A pair of big, strong, cold hands gripped her shoulders. "Hi, Anna- chan," Noshi grinned.  
"I told you not to call me Anna-chan," she griped. "And get your hands off of me. That's what got you into trouble in the first place."  
"Actually, it seems to me that you were the one who got in trouble," Noshi said. "You won't try the shikigamis again. Kino-sama will be furious if you try anything again."  
"Then I'll come up with something else," Anna said, getting up and tossing her apple core into the yard. "Let go of me. I have things to do."  
"Not now," Noshi said, intensity in his hands. They started traveling on her body again. Anna froze. She'd been able to save herself before, but she was almost powerless now. He had pinned her against the bench, and there was nothing she could do but scream. But the garden was far from the house. No one would hear her. Anna screamed at the top of her lungs and kicked Noshi. He didn't relent. His hands pressed harder.  
Then all of a sudden he stopped.  
Anna yanked away from him and ran away. Then she glanced back. Noshi was frozen in fear, staring at something behind her. She turned.  
It was an oni. A huge one. It snarled at Noshi. Terrified, Anna bolted, racing for the door. As soon as she stepped inside, the oni retreated to the forest. She ran for her room.  
This time, Noshi did not go to Kino. And he did not come near Anna again.  
Actually, no one came near Anna again.  
This suited her well enough. She hated them all, anyway. 


	3. Ten Years Old

Anna kicked at a rock. She was in a black mood. First of all, it was snowing. She hated snow. Didn't Aomori ever have a time without snow? Second of all, she'd been sent grocery shopping.

She hated grocery shopping. At least it was only for two people. All of the other students and workers had gone home for the winter holidays. But she didn't have a home, so she was stuck in Aomori.

Suddenly her mental complaining was interrupted by a boy of about ten- near her own age- almost running into her. He skittered to a stop, his mouth opening to apologize.

Just by looking in his eyes she saw into his heart, and saw his name. Half of her wanted to hurtle into his arms, call him by name, and burst into tears. But the reasonable, steely part of herself won out. She forced herself to dislike him.

"You're in the way. Die." Anna brushed past her fiancé and kept her quick pace as she walked down the street.

Author's Note: Okay...this part will have to stay like this until I can get my grubby lil toddler hands on volume nineteen of the Shaman King. Now, what I'm skipping over... Basically... Yoh finds out he has a fiancée and goes to visit her. Things don't go so well. He barely even gets to talk to her. Still, he thinks she's kind of cute. Later, when he's talking to her (for like the first time) she tells him thank you very much, but she can't marry him. When he asks why, a giant oni appears. (An oni is a creature formed by pure anger...in this case poor ten-year-old Anna's anger.) There's this whole deal where Yoh saves her from the oni(s?) and she cries and all that jazz...yeah. That's all I know. If anyone finds volume 19 material, I WILL SERIOUSLY LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!

Thank you and good night.

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**Real Author's Note:**

Oy. High School Me was _obnoxious._

I eventually found volumes 19 and 20, but I don't think I'm ever going to write it. At least not for this story.

Double oy.


	4. Die, Noshi

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, not me.

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Anna woke in the middle of the night, feeling groggy. She stumbled into the bathroom and flicked on the light. Then she realized she was covered in blood. Red soaked her yukata. Her breathing coming hard, she undressed and realized that her slim, pale legs were streaked with it. Anna pulled her yukata back on and sat on the edge of the bathtub, panicking. Was she going to die? What was wrong with her?

She weighed her options. She could do what the other students did- go down the nurse and tell her the problem. But that would mean the entire school would know by morning. Or she could wake up Kino, at two o'clock in the morning, and face her wrath. There was nothing she could do.

Or was there?

Anna went back into her room, stumbling in the darkness, and groped for her itako beads. As quietly as she could she went through her prayers and summoned the spirit.

She made sure it was a woman doctor, having no desire to show herself to a man. This doctor was a pretty young woman with kind eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked Anna.

"I'm bleeding," Anna blurted out.

"What do you mean, dear?" she asked.

"I'm bleeding, well..." The twelve-year-old was having trouble explaining. "I think I'm going to die."

The doctor laughed kindly. "You're not going to die, child," she said. "You're only growing up. This happens to every girl when she gets to be around your age. It's nothing to be afraid of." The spirit went on to explain to Anna. The girl listened, and at the end of the instructions, sent the ghost back to the heavens.

A little tear slipped down Anna's cheek as she changed into clean clothes. Other girls got to have their mothers explain this to them. The only person she could ask was a ghost.

-----

"Anna! Pay attention!" Kino snapped. Anna jumped in surprise and hurried to catch up to her teacher. "It's not that long of a walk."

Anna rolled her eyes. The Asakura ancestral home was nearly three miles away. But she welcomed the long walk. Maybe it would give her a chance to collect her thoughts before she had to see Yoh face to face again.

Her cheeks flushed at the remembrance. He probably thought she was stupid. After all, she hadn't exactly made the greatest of impressions on him at their last meeting. But before she had enough time to gather her thoughts properly, they had walked up to the front door.  
Kino entered and took off her shoes. "We're here," she said.

"Grammy!" a boy-voice shrieked. Yoh hurtled into the room and hugged his grandmother.

"Calm down, child," Kino said, obviously pleased by her grandson's effusive greeting. "I'm not the only one here. Say hello to Anna."

Yoh straightened and looked at Anna. She glanced back, her eyes shy but her body language steely. "Hi, Anna," he said. "It's been a while."

"Well?" Kino said. "Give her a hug. She is your fiancée, after all, boy."

He didn't seem too upset with the idea. Yoh put his arms around Anna's waist and hugged her. She was forced to slide her arms around his neck. Her chin rested on his strong shoulder. He smelled good, fresh and outdoorsy. It was- no! Stop! She shouldn't get too attached!

It was too late. Anna could already feel her heart pounding as Yoh let got of her. "It's nice to see you, Yoh," she said.

He opened his mouth to say something when a pert little face peeked around the corner. "Yoh-san, are they here- oh!"

Yoh grinned and beckoned to her. "Don't be scared," he said. The little girl shyly came to stand next to him. "Tamao, this is Anna Kyoyama. Anna, this is Tamao Tamamura. She lives with us."

Anna froze. This Tamao...this was the other girl. The one that might take her place. Her hair was soft and the color of a rosebud, flipping up in a short, youthful style. Tamao's eyes were wide and innocent. She had a child's body just barely beginning to show signs of womanhood. Even her clothes accentuated how naïve and innocent she was. She was a beautiful child.

Kino elbowed Anna, jolting her back to reality. "Hello, Tamao," Anna said, her voice a little too severe.

"H-H-Hello," Tamao stammered out, ducking her blushing face behind Yoh's back.

"You don't have to be so shy with her, Tamao," Yoh laughed. "Anna's bark is worse then her bite."

Anna raised one eyebrow. That was all she needed to do for Tamao to twitch in fear and dash out of the room.

Yoh huffed a lock of hair out of his eyes. "Poor Tamao," he said. "She's so shy."

"Where are your parents, boy?" Kino asked her grandson.

"Tou'san is training the new boy, and Kaa'san is making dinner," Yoh explained.

"Run get your mama. I need to talk to her," Kino said.

"Hai, Grammy," Yoh said, running to obey.

"And don't call me Grammy," Kino called. She shook her head. "You'll have your hands full with that one, child. So sweet, and yet, so stupid."

Anna smiled inwardly. Yoh was very kind. She stepped into the main part of the house, following Kino. Suddenly Anna paused. There was a bad aura in the house. It was dirty. She shuddered slightly. Why did it seem so familiar?

She realized why when she followed Kino into the training hall. A young man was training under the cautious watch of a tall older man with a strange mask. The young man was good-looking, even attractive, until he turned.

Anna knew the face. It had haunted her dreams often enough.

It was Noshi.

She took a step back, walking straight into Yoh. "Hey!" he exclaimed, his hands inadvertently spanning her waist to brace her.

She jerked away from him. "Hands off," she snarled.

A tall young woman with long dark hair had followed Yoh, absentmindedly wiping her hands on the pink apron she wore over her clothes. "Mother, you're here," Keiko said, pleased. "And Anna." Keiko smiled brightly at her future daughter, bending to kiss both of Anna's cheeks. "I'm so glad you got here safely." Anna bowed respectfully to Yoh's miko mother.

"Are we going to eat now, Kaa'san?" Yoh whined.

Keiko pulled a face and plucked at his headphones. "You know how I hate it when you whine, Yoh-chan," she reminded him. "Mikihisa, Noshi! Dinner is ready."

The two men stopped. "Hai, Keiko-san," Noshi said, bowing.

"Eh? Who is this little one?" the man with the mask asked.

Keiko put her hands on Anna's shoulders. "Mikihisa, this is Anna Kyoyama, Yoh's soon-to-be wife. Anna, this is my husband and Yoh's father, Mikihisa," she introduced.

Mikihisa took Anna's small hands in his. "It is a pleasure to meet you, little Miss Anna," he said. "I would just like to let you know that you will always be my favorite daughter-in-law."  
Yoh blinked. "Won't she be your only daughter-in-law?" he asked.

Keiko cast a quick sideways glance at her husband. "Mikihisa, you have awful jokes," she said.

"Yes, yes, I know. Oh, by the way, Anna, this is my temporary pupil, Noshi Kazaguwa," Mikihisa said.

"We've met," Noshi said, his eyes gleaming. Anna stiffened.

Keiko sensed Anna's tension. "Well, it's time to eat," she said.

"What about that stupid husband of mine?" Kino asked. "He still hasn't shown his bald head around here."

Mikihisa shrugged. "You know Tou'san. He'll wander out at soon as he smells food."

At dinner, Anna found herself sitting between Yoh and Noshi. Tamao was across from her, attempting vainly to keep Ponchi and Konchi, her obnoxious spirits, quiet by feeding them bites of her supper.

"So, Anna," Noshi said, his voice smooth and deep. "What have you been in up to in the past few years?"

"Training," she said flatly, stuffing a rather large piece of sushi in her mouth. Now she wouldn't have to answer his questions while her mouth is full.

Noshi, disregarding the sushi, opened his mouth to ask her another question when suddenly Yohmei came in.

"We've been called to a conference in Hatchi," he said without bothering with pleasantries.

"Hello to you too, husband," Kino said dryly, taking a bite of rice.

"Oh, hello, Kino," Yohmei smiled.

"Why do we have to go to Hatchi?" Keiko pressed. "Anna and Kino just got here. And it's almost New Year's."

"It won't be long; a two day trip at the latest," Yohmei said. "Apparently there's been some trouble in the eastern part of the island and they need our help."

"Can we go too, Gramps?" Yoh asked eagerly.

"No, grandson," Yohmei said. "You and Noshi will stay here to take care of the girls."

Noshi smiled at Anna. "We'll take good care of them," he said.

Anna leaned away from him, her back brushing against Yoh's arm. He glanced up and put a hand on her arm. She jerked it away. But all that did was make her fall into his lap.

"Um...hi?" Yoh stammered.

Anna glared at him. "Die," she said, pushing herself up. Tamao was blushing, while Keiko and Mikihisa exchanged secretive little smiles with each other. Anna was mortified. But she could have recovered if it hadn't been for Ponchi and Konchi.

"Whoa, getta room!" Ponchi hollered.

"Yeah, this is a G-rated place," Konchi hooted.

In one swift movement Anna grabbed both spirits by the tails. "Don't. Say. Anything. Like. That. Again," she warned. Then she tossed them both outside.

"My little ones!" Tamao wailed, leaping up to rescue them.

Anna crossed her arms and sat down again, glowering.

"She doesn't mess around," Yoh mumbled to himself.

She would have slapped him for that, but when she snapped her head around, she realized he was smiling. So she let him be...just this once.

-----

"We're going now," Keiko called.

Yoh, panting, looked up at Anna. "Can I take a break and say goodbye to my mom?" he begged.

Anna shrugged. "You're still going to finish your exercises," she said.

Relieved for even a slight reprieve, Yoh loped over to his mother, who held out her arms to him. Keiko hugged her son tightly and kissed the top of his head. Anna's face froze and she pretended to check her stopwatch.

"Anna," Keiko said. "Come here, child. I want to say goodbye to you, too."

Her body felt like lead, but she forced herself to walk over to Keiko. The tall, pretty woman drew Anna into her embrace and hugged her. Anna stood there, a little stiff, scared out of her wits. Keiko kissed her cheek and let go. "We'll be back in a day or so," she said. "Make sure that Yoh doesn't slack off, all right?" She gave Anna's thin hand a final squeeze, then set off down the road to catch up with her husband and parents-in-law.

Anna waved goodbye- a tiny, hesitant little wiggle of her fingers. But Keiko saw the shy gesture and waved back. Anna could feel a smile spreading across her face.

And then she remembered Yoh. She wheeled around. "Get back to work!" she barked.

Yoh rolled his eyes. "All right, all right," he said. Anna grinned to herself at this new torture. Yoh had to do one-armed pushups with Ponchi and Konchi on his back. Punishment for all three.

"Faster! Faster!" Ponchi ordered, bouncing up and down. Yoh's face turned blue with effort, but he managed to finish a push-up and immediately collapsed to the ground.

"Finish a hundred more," Anna said.

"But I'm tired," Yoh huffed.

"So am I. And that's why I'm going to bed. Goodnight." She started to back into the house and then turned. "And don't even think about sneaking in before you're done. I'll know." She left Yoh screeching in aggravation.

Anna smiled ruefully as she changed into her yukata. He was a sweet boy. Not very strong, but very sweet. She yawned three times before she finally pulled the covers over her shoulders and dropped into sleep.

She woke up feeling something warm and heavy on her. Hazily she realized that the covers were gone, but she still felt warm. But her shoulders were cold.

Then a sharp bite on her neck woke her up.

"You don't know how long I've waited," Noshi said huskily. "Anna, Anna, Anna. You know you have to give in to me."

"No!" Anna screamed. "Get off! Get off me! Please!"

Noshi pushed on her stomach, pinning her on the floor and making her cry out in pain. "I don't think so," he said. "Nobody's here but those two kids. Face it, Anna. You're mine."

With a sinking heart, Anna realized no one would be coming to save her. She closed her eyes tight, trying to push back the tears, and whimpered as Noshi touched her. Anna began to cry.

"What the- Anna!" Suddenly Noshi's hands dropped away from her and his heavy weight left her body. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Anna pulled her torn yukata around her cold body as her rescuer pummeled Noshi.

"You can't do this," Noshi spat. "I'm here as a student. I don't care who you are. You're not allowed to injure a trainee like me. I'm protected."

The sounds of punches stopped. "Get out," Anna's rescuer said, his voice low and tight. "Leave her alone."

Anna silently blessed whoever it was as Noshi's heavy footsteps died away. A gentle hand touched her cheek. "How badly are you hurt?" Yoh asked, his dark eyes gleaming with emotion.

"Yoh?" she whispered.

He smoothed her hair. "Go get cleaned up, Anna. I'll make sure he doesn't come back," Yoh promised. Anna tied her the sash of her yukata, painfully aware of the rips and tears in it. "Hey, you can't wear that. Do you have another one?"

"No," she said.

"I'll go get something from Tamao," Yoh said. "Go take a bath. I'll make sure nothing happens to you." Anna nodded obediently and walked stiffly to the bathroom. She was conscious of Yoh's eyes on her, watching her go.

Anna folded the remains of her yukata, tied her long hair in a bun, and sank into the hot water of the bath. Now she could cry and let her hot tears melt into the water. Strange...it seemed so easy for her to cry now. But still...she couldn't let anyone see her.

"Anna?" Yoh called. "I've got some clothes for you. May I come in please?"

"Wait," she sniffed, getting a big towel and wrapping it around herself. "Now you can." She still couldn't help but blush.

Yoh didn't seem to be staring at her body, however. He set the clothes down on the counter and then turned his back to her. "You get dressed, and we're going to talk," he said, his voice decisive.

"All right," Anna said, looking at the clothes. He'd borrowed a tank top and a pair of cheerleader's shorts from Tamao, both of which looked comfortable to her.

"I'm moving your futon in my room until my parents and grandparents return," Yoh began. "You're going to stay with me at all times, in case that hentai tries again."

"What about Tamao?" Anna asked, shivering as she pulled the tank top over her head. "Doesn't she need looking after?"

"Not with Ponchi and Konchi," Yoh said, a smile in his voice. "They adore her. They have never let anything happen to her since the day they were put in her care." He turned around. "Now, come with me, Anna."

She followed him to his room. He'd already set up her futon next to his, and all of her belongings were piled neatly beside it. "Why are you doing this for me?" she asked softly.

"You're my fiancée," Yoh said. "You need someone to protect you from that hentai, and it's going to be me."

If it had been any other time, she would have laughed his chivalrous words and his tough gaze. But at the time, those were the words she needed to hear.

"Arigato, Yoh-kun," she murmured, slipping into her futon. Yoh turned out the lights and climbed into the one next to her. They both slept deeply.

She awoke the next morning to find Yoh's futon empty and sunlight streaming through the windows. Anna sat up drowsily, rubbing her eyes.

"Morning!" Yoh said. He knelt down beside her. "How do you feel?"

"Still tired," she confessed.

Yoh reached out touch her, then drew his hand back sharply. "May I-" he ventured. Anna shrugged. Yoh ran his fingers lightly against the side of her neck. "That looks pretty bad," he said. "How about your stomach? Do you have any bruises there?"

"I don't know," Anna said. "And I'm not about to lift up my shirt in front of you."

Much to his credit, Yoh blushed deep red. "No, no, no," he protested, waving his arms frantically. "Not like that! I just wanted to make sure you're all right."

"I'm. Perfectly. Fine," Anna said.

"All right, then," Yoh said. "I just came to tell you that breakfast is ready."

"You better not've burned anything," she lectured. "There's nothing more disgusting than burned eggs. Except maybe watery eggs. In that case you can make me something else, and you'll eat the horrid specimens of cookery."

Yoh's mouth opened and closed in shock, but eventually he just rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said.

"I have to get dressed first," she said. "I'll be down when I'm ready." Yoh tromped down the stairs, grumbling. Anna closed the door behind him- locking it securely- and pulled out her kimono. The slightly high collar hid the bites on her shoulders, and the sleeves covered her bruises. She tied the obi loosely around her waist. She left her hair in the bun she'd slept in. When she'd put it up the night before it had been smooth and tight, but sleeping left it slightly mussed, and little curls twined around her small ears and her hairline. At the moment she didn't much care about the condition of her hair, and only headed downstairs to eat.

Tamao was already in the kitchen, sitting at the table with Ponchi and Konchi at her side. At the sight of Anna they fled, chirping in fear. "Good morning, Anna-san," Tamao said shyly. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough," Anna said, sitting down.

"Why did you need to borrow my clothes?" Tamao asked. "If...if I'm not too bold."

Anna looked at her over the rim of her teacup. "That is too bold," she said coldly. Tamao made a little "eep" noise and hurriedly went back to eating.

Yoh set a plate in front of Anna. "There. Eat," he said, none too happy about her egg comments.

Anna took a bite. "It'll pass," she said. "At least I won't die of salmonella or anything."

Yoh opened his mouth to say something, but Noshi chose to enter at that moment. Anna stiffened- in fear or in anger, even she wasn't sure. Yoh closed his mouth and put a hand on Anna's shoulder.

"Noshi-san!" Tamao exclaimed. "What happened to you? Where did all of those scrapes and bruises come from?" She jumped up, her compassionate nature getting the best of her. "Please let me help you."

"No," Yoh said. He held out his other hand to the naïve girl. "Tamao, come here. Right now." Confused, Tamao obeyed. Yoh kept one hand on Tamao's thin arm and the other on Anna's shoulder. He rubbed the back of her neck with his thumb. "Noshi, get what you need and leave."

Noshi glared at him fiercely, but said nothing. Tamao blinked rapidly, but didn't disobey Yoh's order. The older boy slammed some food on a plate and disappeared upstairs.

As soon as Noshi was gone, Anna rolled her shoulder hard, bumping Yoh's hand away. "No touching," she said.

"Fine!" Yoh said, yanking his hand away.

"As soon as I'm done we're starting your training program for the morning," Anna said. "Crunches until your abs twitch. And then you'll do the electric chair until your legs fall off." Yoh moaned in pain and headed off to pull on his workout clothes. Anna calmly finished her breakfast and left to brush her teeth.

Tamao, still bemused, could only stare in total bewilderment.

-----

"Anna?"

She cracked open one eye. "What?" she groused.

"Am I done yet?" Yoh asked.

"What time is it?" Anna said.

"Six-thirty," Yoh said.

She blinked, realizing for the first time that the sun had set behind the mountains. "Oh," she said. "You could have stopped an hour ago." Yoh moaned in aggravation. "I fell asleep!" she defended.

"And I wish I was asleep," Yoh grumbled. "At this rate, I'll be too tired to stay up for New Year's tomorrow night."

Anna stretched lazily. "Hm, whatever," she said. "Go start dinner. I'm hungry."

"An-na!" Yoh whined.

She hooked a finger in his belt loop and tugged on his pants. He yelped. "Your mother's right. You are annoying when you whine," she said. "Come on. Maybe that little pink-haired twitcan do something."

"Hey, don't insult Tamao," Yoh said.

She glanced at him through her long hair. "Why not?" she asked. "You in love with her or something."

"No," Yoh said, switching his weight from one foot to the other. "Tamao's just...just shy. She's afraid of her own shadow, even. Just try to be a little nicer to her, please?"

"I'm not making any promises," Anna shrugged. She pointed towards the driveway. "Look. Your parents are home. They're early."

Yoh cheered and ran helter-skelter towards them. Anna followed a ways behind, wishing...well, she wasn't sure what she was wishing. She wandered into the house through the backdoor.

And saw Noshi pinning Tamao to the floor.

The poor little thing was too frightened to even scream. Her eyes were doe-wide with fear as Noshi lifted up her shirt.

"Get off her!" Anna screamed, kicking Noshi in the side. He made a weird "ulp" noise and fell away from the girl. Tamao finally realized what was going on and broke into tears. Noshi pushed himself up, swearing. Anna fell to her knees beside Tamao and pulled her into her arms, protecting the timid girl. "Don't come near us," Anna threatened.

"Why not?" Noshi said. "They won't be home for hours."

"Wrong, hentai."

Noshi whirled around to see Yoh and Mikihisa standing in the doorway. Hastily he bowed. "Sensei...this is...it is...this isn't what it looks like," he stammered.

"Really?" Mikihisa said coolly. "You just felt like making two little girls cry." He strode over and scooped up the sobbing Tamao in his arms. "I'll have you know that this child has been raised in my home since she was four. She is like my own." He handed Tamao to Keiko, who stood behind him with her arms open. Mikihisa placed his hand on Anna's head. "This little one will be my son's wife. She is an honorable, brave, beautiful child. And you dared to touch them. No, more than touch them. You dared to destroy them." Mikihisa helped Anna to her feet and placed her cold, trembling hands in Yoh's. Then he took Noshi by the neck and pinned him against the wall. Noshi's face turned blue as his feet kicked helplessly against the wall. Choked noises rattled in his throat. "If you ever try to touch my daughters again, I will kill you." His eyes were piercing through his mask. "Don't ever show your face here again. Understand?" Noshi nodded, desperate for breath. Mikihisa let go. The hentai made his way to the door, sputtering. Yoh, Anna's hands still tucked in his, kicked him in his area. Noshi shrieked and stumbled out of the house.

"Are you all right, child?" Mikihisa asked. "I saw him hurting Tamao, but did he-"

"Tou'san, he was worse with Anna," Yoh said. "Show him what he did to you."

Reluctantly Anna tugged the collar of her kimono aside, showing the angry red marks and varicolored bruising on her neck and shoulders. Mikihisa cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her on her forehead. "He won't hurt you again," he promised. "Let's see if my Keiko can do anything to help those bruises, ne? Yoh, take her to your mother, and then come with me. I would like to speak to you."

Tamao was sobbing uncontrollably, as Keiko rocked her slowly. "She's not hurt. Only scared," she said softly. "I don't blame her."

"Kaa'san, will you take care of Anna too?" Yoh asked.

"Did he hurt her too?" Keiko gasped. "Oh, poor child. Come here." She held out her free arm to the blonde girl. Hesitantly Anna came closer and let Keiko tug her onto her lap. Her body trembling, Anna laid her head on Keiko's shoulder, and, for the first time, knew what it was like to have a mother.

-----

Anna shifted the sash of her dress. She only owned one nice dress, and this was it- a light blue dress with a sweetheart neckline and puffed sleeves. She had never felt so embarrassed in her life. It was like a three- year-old's dress.

A knock on the door startled her. "Go away!" she barked.

"Anna? Why aren't you coming down?" Yoh asked.

"I don't want to. Now go away and leave me alone," she said. She went out on the balcony and plunked down on the seat.

Yoh sat down next to her. "Hey, it looks like your neck is healing," he said, reaching out to touch the marks.

She jerked away. "Remember what I told you about touching?" she said. "No. Never."

"You let me hold your hands yesterday," he pointed out.

"That was...different," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

Anna realized that she was unconsciously sliding towards him. "Just go away!" she said, giving him a none-so-gentle push. "Go away!"

Yoh let her push him to the door. Then he grinned at her. "You look cute," he said.

Anna planted a hand on his forehead, shoved him, and slammed the door. "Ow..." he moaned. She stood behind the door for a second, then jerked it open.

Yoh was making a face and rubbing his forehead, staring grumpily at her door. "Anna-" he started to say.

She kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for everything," she whispered. "And now...go away!" She slammed the door again.  
-

-

-

**Author's Notes:**

CAN THE OVERDRAMATIC ANGST GET EVEN WORSE?!

I don't think it can...


	5. Arrival in Funbari Hill

Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, not me.

-

-

-

The small girl was given more than a few odd looks. She was such a strange, solitary little creature, her dark eyes wistful when she alone and sharp when she realized someone was paying attention to her. For the entire train trip, she sat alone, her hands folded in her lap, her eyes staring out the window, yet seeing something else.

Anna jolted out of her daydreaming as she realized the train had stopped in Funbari Hill. She took up her things and got off the train.

Finding Yoh wasn't too difficult. She'd kept tabs on him ever since New Year's. And now, it was time. Time for her to start training him, preparing him for the shaman tournament.

If he was still alive.

Anna's heart pounded as she neared the hospital. It was early morning; the paperboy was just starting his route. It was a known fact that most spirits slipped into the next world with the daybreak. What if...what if she was too late?

She shifted the stick on her shoulder and walked into the hospital. No one noticed her, not even the sleepy-eyed intern at the desk. She kept going, reaching out for Yoh's aura to find him. At long last she found his room.

But instead of silence, she heard screeching. A high-pitched voice, belonging to either a mouse or a very small child. Then a deeper one- a young man's. And then one that was incredibly familiar. Anna pushed open the door.

Yoh was sitting up in bed, smiling.

She covered her relief by spouting out, "Oh, settle down." Her keychain clinked as she leaned against the doorframe. "And I came all this way expecting to find you in a coma. What's all the commotion about, anyway?"

"Hold it right there! Who are you? You sure you have the right room?!" the high pitched voice said. Anna glanced down to see a boy about knee-high to her staring up at her in confusion. She glared.

"Uh, Manta, look out-" Yoh stammered.

Too late. Anna slapped the midget across the face.

"Don't talk to me like that, shrimp," she warned. "I'm a shaman- Anna, the itako. Yoh Asakura's fiancée."

The short guy didn't take the news well. "What?!" he exploded. "This girl is Yoh's...fiancée?!"

"Correct," she said, stepping into the room. "And I'm putting you on my special intensive training program today! No arguments!" She glanced at Yoh. "You're gonna make me the first lady of the shaman world."

"F-First lady?" the short guy sputtered. "Itako?! Training?! Fiancee?! This is insane! You're talking nonsense!"

"Anna..."Yoh said, his dark eyes wide. "How'd you find..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "...uh, know I was here?"

The short guy took this information even harder. "YOU KNOW HER?!" he shouted.

Anna shrugged. "Of course I found you, Yoh," she said, speaking as she would to a very small and stupid child. "Your own grandmother, Kino Asakura, trained me." Now she turned to Yoh's friend. "My specialty is channeling. As an itako, I can summon ghosts wherever and whenever I want. Even ghosts in heaven, where normal shamans can't reach."

"Those are ghosts that-" the short one stuttered.

Anna settled her beads around her neck. "The ghosts of Funbari Hill keep me well informed on Yoh's activities," she said. She winked at her fiancé. "So, how ya been, Yoh? I haven't seen you since Kino and I went home for New Year's."

Yoh's vertically challenged friend was still trying to puzzle it out. "Huh...what?! You're both shamans, and you grew up together?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "You catch on quick," she said, her tone sarcastic. She sat on the bed, crossing her thin legs gracefully. "Amazing how thirsty you can get just walking around Tokyo. Hey, you," she said to the short one. "Get me a soda."

"What?!" he protested. "Why should-"

He shouldn't have tried to talk back. Anna slapped him across the face for the second time.

"Noisy little shrimp, aren't you?" she said, glaring at him through her bangs. "What're you to Yoh, anyway?"

"What am I? I'm his friend!" the boy wailed.

"Then you better stay on my good side," Anna said flatly.

"HUH?"

"Remember...the orders of the future wife of the Shaman King...will be obeyed," she said, her voice icy.

Yoh's microsized pal didn't wait. He tore out of the room like there was a fire in the seat of his pants.

"You were a little hard on Manta," Yoh told her.

"Is that his name?" Anna shrugged. "I think I was nicer than he deserved."

Yoh shrugged. It was useless to fight with Anna; he knew that well.

"So, Yoh," Anna said. "How badly were you hurt?"

He blinked. "He hit my shoulder," he said.

"What kind of weapon?"

"Halberd."

Anna nodded. "You should know better, Yoh. With a long weapon like a kwan do, you can use the top-heavy weight of the spearhead to your advantage. Understand?"

"Hai," Yoh sighed. "Um...I have to use the bathroom. Can I go?"

"Please. I don't want you wetting yourself," Anna said. Thrilled, Yoh left.

Now Anna turned to the ghost. "And now, for you," she said.

"Me?" the ghost squeaked.

"Don't think I couldn't see you. Name, please."

"Ami-Amidamaru," he stammered.

"Occupation."

"Samurai?"

"Age at death."

"Around twenty-four...I think..."

"Span of death."

"Six hundred years...thereabouts."

"I approve," Anna said. "But Yoh is stupid. He's probably trying to run away from me right now. But I've gotten myself a little insurance."

Before the samurai ghost had time to think, Anna yanked off her itako beads, swung them around, and tied up Amidamaru with a quick flip of her wrist. Much to her embarrassment, the samurai burst into tears.

"Oh, stop wailing," she snapped. "Yoh will realize you're gone and come back for you in just a minute or two."

Sure enough, Yoh sauntered back in, Manta at his heels. "You're late," she said. "I tied up the samurai ghost so you wouldn't run away."

"Amidamaru?!" Manta squealed.

"Lord Yoh, who is the she-devil?" Amidamaru sobbed.

Yoh's jaw twitched. "Darn it! I told you I wouldn't run away, Anna!" he said.

She crossed her arms smugly. "Don't pretend you're tough, Yoh," she said coolly.

His mouth dropped open. "What did you...okay, pack up your special training and go! I have my own way of doing things, so beat it!" he shouted.

A little pang shot through her heart, but she squelched it. "I guess this means...you want to die," Anna said, her voice quiet and steely.

"Wh-wh-what?" Yoh stammered.

She straightened to her full but still rather petite height and stared him in the face. "If that Ren guy comes after you, you'll be lucky to achieve one-hundred-percent integration again." Her voice softened, just enough for Yoh to hear. "And just look what it did to you this time."

"How- how did you know about Ren?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"I told you. I know everything about you," Anna said simply. "And at your present level, you can't beat him...or the powerful shamans from all over the world you have to face. Shaman King is a highly contested position...a dream upon a dream."

"The world?" Amidamaru repeated.

"Hold on! What do you mean from all over the world?! Is that why that Ren guy came to Japan?" Manta demanded.

"Y-you don't mean..." Yoh started to say.

Anna turned to the window. "Yep." She looked out to watch the sunrise. "Mankind has forgotten the spiritual world and succumbed to greed...the time of gathering is coming. Shamans from all over the world want to find the great spirit. It's time to see who will be the next shaman king...the next messiah." She turned back around to look at them, her dark eyessnapping. "Shaman Fight in Tokyo is coming."

Her serious and dramatic moment was entirely destroyed by Manta.

"Shaman Fight? Tokyo?" He started snickering. "Is that some kind of sports event? And why Tokyo?"

For the third time in under an hour, Anna swatted Manta. This time it was so harsh he clunked to the floor. Anna crossed her arms. "This is serious," she said. "The shaman fight takes place wherever the most disorder prevails. That's where the messiah will appear. The world's most powerful shamans have already begun to assemble in Tokyo, bringing their foreign beliefs and their prized ghosts."

"Then Ren was one of them?" Amidamaru said. "So that...was a shaman fight."

Anna turned on her heel. "Yoh!" she said. He gulped. She stared him in the eyes. "For you to survive these battles, I have to pound the laziness out of you. My goal is to be the first lady of the shaman world. You're going to be my husband, so you will be the Shaman King- even if it kills you." She jammed her fists on her skinny hips. "After all, I deserve nothing less."  
It was quite satisfying to see all three of their jaws drop in exasperation.

-----

Anna watched Yoh carefully, trying to see if he was straining his sore shoulder too much. He never complained, she would give him that. But every once in a while his face would twist. "That's enough training for today," she said. "After all, it's only your first day out of the hospital."

"I suppose I should thank you," Yoh barked. Sweat dripped from his thin face.

"Yes, you should," Anna said. She picked up her kerchief-on-a-stick. "And now, we're going home. Lead the way."

"You're living with me?" Yoh asked.

"Where did you think I would live? The park?" she asked coolly. "Come on, Yoh, while I'm still young."

Grumbling, Yoh obeyed. Anna trailed behind him. The workout she'd made him go through at the gym showed her what she needed him to work on. Which was basically everything. He was as skinny as a bean pole.

"This is my house," Yoh said, pushing open the gate with a not-so- happy look on his face.

Anna stepped inside. "It'll do," she said. Actually, to her it was a palace. Much better than the cramped quarters of Kino's training camp.

Yoh tramped inside. "Yoh. What are you doing?" she said.

"Going inside?" he blinked.

"Shoes!" she barked. Rolling his eyes, Yoh kicked off his sandals and dumped them on the floor before entering the main part of the house. Anna set her sandals neatly beside his and followed him.

"I guess you'll sleep upstairs," Yoh said. He was starting to get used to the idea of her living with him. "It's going to be nice to have another person in the house. Living person, I mean." He led her to the second story and opened the door. "This is your room. I guess."

Almost timidly Anna peeked inside. It was a nice, airy room, surprisingly clean. A door led out to what she supposed was a balcony. "I like it," she told him.

"There's a spare futon downstairs," he said.

"So..." she said.

"So what?"

"So you're going to get it, right?" she said.

He opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. "All right," he agreed.

"And go get dinner started. I'm starving," she called as he tramped down the stairs. She could hear him muttering as he went to obey.

Anna untied her kerchief and shook her long hair free. She folded the long piece of red cloth, setting it on the floor next to her stick. So this was her new home. A home far away from the familiarity of Aomori, a home where she was, once again, by herself. She rubbed her bare arms. She'd insisted on sleeveless dresses when she found out she was moving to the much warmer area. After ten years of heavy coats and thick kimonos, she could finally wear something else. But now she regretted it. She was freezing in the drafty house.

A gentle hand touched her elbow. "You okay?" Yoh asked. Anna pinched the skin between his first and middle fingers. "Ow!" he wailed, yanking his hand away.

"Lesson number one: don't touch me. Lesson number two: don't assume I'm weak. And lesson number three: my word is law. Got it?" she said.

Yoh stuck out his tongue. "I got it, but I don't like it. Fine with you?"

"Fine," she shrugged. "I don't care how you feel as long as you obey."

Yoh unfolded her futon on the floor. "There's your futon. I'm working on dinner. Happy?" he asked.

"I'll get back to you on that," Anna said.

She wasn't about to tell him the truth: she was thrilled.

-

-

-

**Author's Notes:**

I actually cut the last couple of pages from this story. I just didn't like them.

I wrote this by going back to the Viz editions of the manga and writing the exposition around the dialogue. Slightly tedious, if I do say say.

I'm eventually going to write the ultimate Anna back story. I'm determined to do it before I retire from fanfiction....


End file.
